Release
by bakedwords
Summary: This was satisfaction enough. Should it really come so easily? Implied Rolo- Lelouch.


**A/N:** Just trying this out.

There was nothing but silence, exhaustion and the moonlight peering through the window to keep Lelouch company tonight. Lying under the covers of his bed, he was... safe. No, that wasn't quite right. He felt like everything was at a standstill, at least until his thoughts went back to the mess they usually were.

He could worry about where CC had mysteriously disappeared to, or anticipate the events of the next hour, the next day, the next week; perhaps sort through his newly regained memories in search of any important details he couldn't allow himself to overlook, for the sake of many, many things he was too tired to properly list right now.

Lelouch finally surrendered; he closed his eyes and shifted into a more comfortable sleeping position. Release_._ This was the only time in which he could relax his his shoulders and give in to abandon, and he relished this feeling more than anything.

What pulled Lelouch from his rest wasn't the sound of the door softly creaking open, or tentative footsteps nearing his bed. It was _his_ presence as he slipped underneath the covers next to him. Rolo.

Ah.

The boy inched closer to him, a gesture reeking of adoration and brotherly affection. They were almost touching and Rolo's arm brushing against his back ever so slightly caused Lelouch to stiffen immediately.

Such a harmless, childish gesture, really. He shouldn't even have anything to worry about at this point when it came to his brother dearest. And yet... No, what Rolo's nighttime intrusion brought forth was an assortment of thoughts and emotions. He wanted to regain that peace of mind from not too long ago. He wanted to shout, to push away, to strike, to let his aversion be known. He thought of Nunnally and of her stolen place. He was reminded of his failure to save-

No, he needed to stay calm, think this through, preserve the normalcy of this situation, as unusual as it was. Anyone would find something a little odd about a boy Rolo's age sneaking into the bed of his older brother at night, never mind the more complex implications of such a gesture between the two.

Rolo let out a small gasp behind him. Fingers quickly gripped at the fabric of his shirt. It was almost as if he had imagined it. A whisper, something unintelligible.

_Probably my name._

The thought calmed Lelouch's mind almost instantly. He even smiled. And now, he was torn between two alternatives to solve the situation in a manner that pleased him.

Lelouch could turn towards Rolo and watch him sleep. He was certain that the boy would eventually notice his elder brother's eyes on him, sharp senses that he had. His eyes would flutter open, still tired and maybe even a little confused and fearful, before settling as he called out to him. Lelouch would then put on his best smile and then lift his arm and strike, a punch, a slap, it didn't matter. He would keep that smile that reassures Rolo so much as he pushed him out of his bed, onto the ground.

Knowing Rolo and his obvious paranoia, he could activate his Geass and escape the blow, but where was the fun in picturing that? And besides, Lelouch had a more plausible vision in mind: startled, lower lip quivering, cries and questions coming from his mouth, his eyes wide and confused, as confused as Lelouch was after his reawakening. He might not shield himself from a second blow. This would give him an opportunity to hurt him, abuse him directly and not through manipulation and mind games until Rolo's reflexes kicked in.

Of course, as much as he'd like to, Lelouch wouldn't resort to that method. That would be so brash. Oh sure, yes, liberating, just like his interrupted sleep, but so stupidly _brash_.

Lelouch would instead give in to the simple pleasures that came with knowledge. He could, after all, obtain them from so many places. It hid behind the blissfully ignorant mask he wore in front of Rolo. It whispered in his ear as Rolo spewed words of devotion and trust, wide purple irises almost misty with adoration, not unlike those of... a pet.

Another gasp behind him. Something against Lelouch's back. Those fingers again, gently tugging at his shirt. More whispering. A tug. A whimper.

A secret smile formed on Lelouch's lips.

No, a careless and unplanned act of violence clearly wasn't the answer. The act would last mere minutes, but look at what he had now. Days, weeks, months of knowing that he had the ability and the power to inflict pain on his little follower, should he want it. A push chould send him falling to the floor right now and tiptoeing back to his room, lonely, distraught, ready to cut himself to pieces to repair the mistake of invading his deity's personal space.

Yes, Lelouch was the center of his world. The only thing stopping Lelouch from ending it all was himself.

Fingers released the back of his shirt. Lelouch carefully turned to face Rolo, running his own through the soft, silky strands of caramel hair. Rolo's tense facial features softened. A sigh.

Control.

By god, he grinned.

This was satisfaction enough. Should it really come so easily?

**A/N:** Well. Writing this after this week has left me feeling a little... down. Oh well. Thank you for reading!


End file.
